Rowley Leigh
Encyclopedia
Rowley Leigh is a British chef
, restaurateur
and journalist
who lives in Shepherd's Bush
, London
.
Born in Manchester
, Leigh went to Clifton College
and Christ's College, Cambridge
in 1968. After Cambridge he tried his hand at farming and novel writing before falling into cooking "almost by accident" in 1977.
After a couple of years at the Joe Allen restaurant, Leigh went to work with the Roux brothers at Le Gavroche
in 1979. After stints at Le Gavroche and the brothers' pastry laboratory, and becoming buyer for the group, he took over their prestigious Le Poulbot restaurant as head chef in 1984, receiving many accolades including The Times
"restaurant of the year" award in 1986.
He opened Kensington Place restaurant with Nick Smallwood and Simon Slater in 1987. Quickly hailed by The Times as restaurant of the year, Kensington Place and its blend of brilliant food and an informal and buzzy atmosphere set the pattern for London restaurants in the 1990s.
In the same decade, Rowley started a career as a cookery writer, winning the prestigious Glenfiddich award
three times with The Guardian
, The Sunday Telegraph and the Financial Times
.
Leigh remains cookery correspondent of the Financial Times. His much accoladed book, No Place Like Home, was published in 2001. He left Kensington Place in December 2006 in order to open Le Café Anglais in 2007.
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
, restaurateur
Restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who lives in Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Born in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Leigh went to Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
and Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
in 1968. After Cambridge he tried his hand at farming and novel writing before falling into cooking "almost by accident" in 1977.
After a couple of years at the Joe Allen restaurant, Leigh went to work with the Roux brothers at Le Gavroche
Le Gavroche
Le Gavroche is a restaurant on 43 Upper Brook Street in Mayfair . It was opened in 1967 by Michel and Albert Roux although the original premises were on 61 Lower Sloane Street until 1981....
in 1979. After stints at Le Gavroche and the brothers' pastry laboratory, and becoming buyer for the group, he took over their prestigious Le Poulbot restaurant as head chef in 1984, receiving many accolades including The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
"restaurant of the year" award in 1986.
He opened Kensington Place restaurant with Nick Smallwood and Simon Slater in 1987. Quickly hailed by The Times as restaurant of the year, Kensington Place and its blend of brilliant food and an informal and buzzy atmosphere set the pattern for London restaurants in the 1990s.
In the same decade, Rowley started a career as a cookery writer, winning the prestigious Glenfiddich award
Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards
The Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards were intended to recognize achievements in writing, publishing and broadcasting on the subjects of food and drink...
three times with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Sunday Telegraph and the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
.
Leigh remains cookery correspondent of the Financial Times. His much accoladed book, No Place Like Home, was published in 2001. He left Kensington Place in December 2006 in order to open Le Café Anglais in 2007.